Old South Gaylord Shopping District / Reiver's

Gaylord Street, Between Mississippi and Tennessee
http://www.southgaylordstreet.com/index.html

One of Denver's oldest shopping districts, Old South Gaylord is a quaint, beautiful area that can provide a day's distraction with shopping, dining, galleries, and spas, all crammed in to a couple of blocks. No chain stores here - these are cute boutiques, neighborhood establishments, and one-of-a-kind locations. If that's not enough, then a short walk will land you in Wash Park where you can enjoy the beauty (watch out for the man sunbathing in a thong - ass up, no less!) and get in some recreation.

This weekend, we attended the Memorial Day weekend festival taking place on Gaylord. Live bands were on the center stage, a petting zoo and rides were available to keep kids occupied, and local artisans sold their wares (from fresh-baked goodies and tie-died shirts to homemade soaps and art.) The festival wasn't too crowded, and the people in attendance were friendly, which made for a great afternoon.

Rather than grabbing some food from one of the booths, we decided to venture in to Reiver's, a cute bar on the corner of Gaylord and Mississippi. A long-standing tradition in the neighborhood, Reiver's is cozy and has two outdoor seating areas - a patio off the front, and a courtyard in the back. Definitely a neighborhood bar, there are TVs scattered around with sports playing, and the interior is done in dark wood. As we just wanted lunch to sustain us as we wandered through the shops and booths, we both opted for wraps - S had the Chicken Ranch and G had the Turkey Bacon Avocado. Both were delicious, with fresh ingredients. The Chicken Ranch had grilled chicken, cheese, lettuce, red onion, and ranch dressing. The Turkey Bacon Avocado came with lettuce and aioli mayonnaise. G had his with Tomato Basil soup, which was creamy and tasty (though it could have been a bit warmer - but who orders soup when it's over 80 degrees outside?!,) and S had hers with fries, which were crispy, fresh and hot. The service was good and friendly despite the crowd. An adorable, out of the way place, we'd definitely return for a lazy afternoon (and we wish we lived closer so we could return for a lazy evening with a couple of drinks!)

India's Restaurant (Tamarac Square)

3333 S. Tamarac Drive


We love this place.

G, being English, is obviously a huge fan of Indian cuisine. S isn't as big of a fan, but is usually able to find something that she can enjoy on the menu. India's keeps us both really happy.

Located in a strip mall, India's is a surprise when you enter. Dark but welcoming, with colorful fabric and Indian tapestries hanging from the ceiling, you quickly forget that you're in a strip mall. The server will light the red candle at your table, take your drink order, and bring you a basket of pappadum. The naan is outstanding - served warm, usually with some more "toasted" bits on each piece from being baked in a wood-burning oven. Each dish that we've tried has been very good - our only complaint is that they aren't as spicy hot as Indian food typically is. But it's always flavorful and carefully prepared. Dishes are the perfect size for one person each (we usually share a bit off of each of our plates,) and come with a small salad. The perfect end to your meal is the amazing cinnamon bread pudding and a cup of chai.

Service isn't overly friendly, but we find it refreshing to find a restaurant where the server isn't hovering over us, and we can actually enjoy our conversation and meal without interruption.

This isn't the place for a quick meal, or an inexpensive evening out - it usually comes up to about $60-65 for the two of us, with one cocktail each, naan, main dishes, one bread pudding and two chai teas. But it's great for somewhere to really enjoy the meal, talk and people-watch. If you haven't been, give it a try!